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DHEC: Hazardous materials dumped into Upstate sewer districts

Published: Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 2:05 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 2:05 p.m.

State and federal authorities are investigating the illegal dumping of hazardous materials in three Upstate sewer districts.

Facts

What are PCBs?

Manufactured domestically from 1929 until they were banned in 1979, PCBs were used for hundreds of industrial and chemical applications, including electrical and hydraulic equipment, in paints, plastics, rubber products, as well as in pigments and dyes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. PCBs do not readily break down after being introduced into the environment and have been demonstrated to cause cancer and affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems, according to the EPA.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, appeared in routine testing of wastewater collection systems in Lyman, Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District and Renewable Water Resources, according to information released by the Department of Health and Environmental Control Thursday.

Leaders of the three systems said in a joint statement that the PCBs are contained, and there is no danger to the environment or the water supply.

The contamination is thought to be a result of multiple dumpings of illegal substances into the sewer systems of each district. What the substance might be is still under investigation, according to DHEC spokesman Mark Plowden.

The district managers, DHEC and law enforcement are asking for the public's help in identifying the source of the contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed a criminal investigation is underway.

Sue Schneider, general manager of Spartanburg Water, which oversees SSSD, said the contaminant was found in two of the district's treatment plants in June. She said DHEC was notified when the sample was confirmed the first week of July.

“You expect this contaminant to always come up as zero,” Schneider said.

Alan Johnson, public works director for Lyman, said PCBs were identified in the town's system in late July or early August, after DHEC notified officials about a potential illegal dumping problem.

Roy Orvin, executive director of Renewable Water Resources, said small amounts of PCBs were first discovered in the Pelham Water Resource Recovery Facility in January. Renewable Water Resources serves Greenville County and parts of Anderson, Spartanburg, Laurens and Pickens counties.

The contaminant was found in annual testing, said Stacey Flax, the system's customer service and contract manager. It is unknown if there were any PCBs present between January 2012 and January 2013 because Renewable Water Resources does not test for PCBs on a regular basis.

“It's something that hasn't been in production for 45 years, so it's not something we would test. It's not something in our permits to test,” Flax said.

Renewable Water Resources continued to monitor the PCBs for several months, and they persisted, but remained below the permitted limit of 50 parts per million, according to Flax. During that time, sludge containing the toxin was disposed of by spreading it over agriculture fields in Spartanburg, Laurens, Greenville and Pickens counties, in accordance with the facility's land application permit.

“We were below the legal limit,” Orvin said.

Flax said Renewable Water Resources stopped distributing the contaminated sludge to farms to prevent creating “cumulative effect” from the toxin. Instead, the sludge taken to a landfill.

Orvin said he is working to determine what fields received sludge from the Pelham facility and is collaborating with DHEC to test the fields and take the appropriate action.

The level of PCBs spiked above the legal limit in May, at which time DHEC was notified, and the sludge was contained on site, Orvin said.

Plowden said DHEC was notified of the PCBs by SSSD on July 3, and found out about the Lyman and Pelham plants later.

“It has only recently been determined by further investigation that the contamination source is illegal dumping which is why we are asking for the public's help,” Plowden wrote in an email. “The need for public input in this matter is to assist the investigation. We are unaware of any threat to the public at this time.”

Clean-up

PCBs are heavier than water and settle to the bottom of treatment tanks, bonding with the solid materials, Johnson said.

Typically, solid waste is hauled from the sewage treatment plants to a landfill for disposal, but now the sludge will have to be hauled to a special class of landfill authorized to accept PCBs. The closest one is in Alabama, Johnson said.

The sewer districts are awaiting for further instruction from the Environmental Protection Agency about additional clean-up procedures.

“This is a situation caused by others illegally discharging into our system,” Lyman Mayor Rodney Turner said in a written statement. “There will be a significant cost associated with this cleanup and we are hopeful that those who created this situation will be held responsible to the fullest extent possible.”

Schneider estimated the cost of the clean-up at $1.1 million for the Fairforest and Lower North Tyger River treatment facilities, where the chemical was found.

“It's bad enough if you have to pay that once. But if you don't know the source, I can't tell you that I won't have to clean up again,” she said.

DHEC and all three sewage treatment districts are asking anyone with information on illegal dumping into the sewer system to call law enforcement.

In SSSD's case, the problem seems to have occurred over a short period of time, rather than repetitively, Schneider said. The location of the treatment facilities affected indicates it is possibly someone traveling Interstate 85, she said.

There are multiple ways for the contaminant to enter the sewer system, including man holes, grease traps and drains.

Monitoring has been increased at several potential dump sites in the Renewable Water Resources district, Orvin said.

Sewer officials said any suspicious activity near manholes, grease traps or other sewer entrances should be reported by calling DHEC at 1-888-481-0125, or CrimeStoppers at 1-864-23-CRIME, or the local Sheriff's Office or the individual water districts.

<p>State and federal authorities are investigating the illegal dumping of hazardous materials in three Upstate sewer districts.</p><p>Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, appeared in routine testing of wastewater collection systems in Lyman, Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District and Renewable Water Resources, according to information released by the Department of Health and Environmental Control Thursday.</p><p>Leaders of the three systems said in a joint statement that the PCBs are contained, and there is no danger to the environment or the water supply.</p><p>The contamination is thought to be a result of multiple dumpings of illegal substances into the sewer systems of each district. What the substance might be is still under investigation, according to DHEC spokesman Mark Plowden.</p><p>The district managers, DHEC and law enforcement are asking for the public's help in identifying the source of the contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed a criminal investigation is underway.</p><p>Sue Schneider, general manager of Spartanburg Water, which oversees SSSD, said the contaminant was found in two of the district's treatment plants in June. She said DHEC was notified when the sample was confirmed the first week of July. </p><p>“You expect this contaminant to always come up as zero,” Schneider said.</p><p>Alan Johnson, public works director for Lyman, said PCBs were identified in the town's system in late July or early August, after DHEC notified officials about a potential illegal dumping problem.</p><p>Roy Orvin, executive director of Renewable Water Resources, said small amounts of PCBs were first discovered in the Pelham Water Resource Recovery Facility in January. Renewable Water Resources serves Greenville County and parts of Anderson, Spartanburg, Laurens and Pickens counties.</p><p>The contaminant was found in annual testing, said Stacey Flax, the system's customer service and contract manager. It is unknown if there were any PCBs present between January 2012 and January 2013 because Renewable Water Resources does not test for PCBs on a regular basis.</p><p>“It's something that hasn't been in production for 45 years, so it's not something we would test. It's not something in our permits to test,” Flax said.</p><p>Renewable Water Resources continued to monitor the PCBs for several months, and they persisted, but remained below the permitted limit of 50 parts per million, according to Flax. During that time, sludge containing the toxin was disposed of by spreading it over agriculture fields in Spartanburg, Laurens, Greenville and Pickens counties, in accordance with the facility's land application permit.</p><p>“We were below the legal limit,” Orvin said.</p><p>Flax said Renewable Water Resources stopped distributing the contaminated sludge to farms to prevent creating “cumulative effect” from the toxin. Instead, the sludge taken to a landfill.</p><p>Orvin said he is working to determine what fields received sludge from the Pelham facility and is collaborating with DHEC to test the fields and take the appropriate action.</p><p>The level of PCBs spiked above the legal limit in May, at which time DHEC was notified, and the sludge was contained on site, Orvin said.</p><p>Plowden said DHEC was notified of the PCBs by SSSD on July 3, and found out about the Lyman and Pelham plants later.</p><p>“It has only recently been determined by further investigation that the contamination source is illegal dumping which is why we are asking for the public's help,” Plowden wrote in an email. “The need for public input in this matter is to assist the investigation. We are unaware of any threat to the public at this time.”</p><p>Clean-up</p><p>PCBs are heavier than water and settle to the bottom of treatment tanks, bonding with the solid materials, Johnson said.</p><p>Typically, solid waste is hauled from the sewage treatment plants to a landfill for disposal, but now the sludge will have to be hauled to a special class of landfill authorized to accept PCBs. The closest one is in Alabama, Johnson said.</p><p>The sewer districts are awaiting for further instruction from the Environmental Protection Agency about additional clean-up procedures.</p><p>“This is a situation caused by others illegally discharging into our system,” Lyman Mayor Rodney Turner said in a written statement. “There will be a significant cost associated with this cleanup and we are hopeful that those who created this situation will be held responsible to the fullest extent possible.”</p><p>Schneider estimated the cost of the clean-up at $1.1 million for the Fairforest and Lower North Tyger River treatment facilities, where the chemical was found.</p><p>“It's bad enough if you have to pay that once. But if you don't know the source, I can't tell you that I won't have to clean up again,” she said.</p><p>DHEC and all three sewage treatment districts are asking anyone with information on illegal dumping into the sewer system to call law enforcement.</p><p>In SSSD's case, the problem seems to have occurred over a short period of time, rather than repetitively, Schneider said. The location of the treatment facilities affected indicates it is possibly someone traveling Interstate 85, she said.</p><p>There are multiple ways for the contaminant to enter the sewer system, including man holes, grease traps and drains.</p><p>Monitoring has been increased at several potential dump sites in the Renewable Water Resources district, Orvin said.</p><p>Sewer officials said any suspicious activity near manholes, grease traps or other sewer entrances should be reported by calling DHEC at 1-888-481-0125, or CrimeStoppers at 1-864-23-CRIME, or the local Sheriff's Office or the individual water districts.</p>